Chapter 4: Hello Ace
Dragon led Luo Ling ashore and into the local tavern. The shelves were stocked with all kinds of liquor, and a small cabinet held fresh fruit. The place was empty, clearly cleared out in advance for their meeting.
Makino, the bartender, smiled warmly from behind the counter. "Hello, little one. Would you like a glass of milk or some orange juice?"
"Apple juice, please!"
Luo Ling gulped down the juice the moment he got it.
Dragon sat to his left. On his other side sat another man—an old man with a booming presence. Marine Hero Garp.
[Character Detected: Monkey D. Garp. Analysis initiated...]
[Attributes Acquired: Enthusiasm +30, Optimism +50]
[Extract?]
What's the use of extracting these? Luo Ling thought, shaking his head. Seriously, Garp's overflowing attributes are even more useless than Ivankov's.
"So now I have to look after this kid on top of Luffy," Garp grumbled.
"Luffy... is he well?" Dragon asked, his tone casual, almost as if it were an afterthought.
"He's forging a will of steel!" Garp declared confidently, before his tone shifted to complaining. "And what about you, you brat? Don't think I don't know you only came here to see me because it was on your way."
He punctuated his sentence by nonchalantly picking his nose.
"We're establishing a new headquarters in the New World," Dragon stated, taking a sip of strong liquor. Garp poured one for himself as well.
"Sengoku is going to have a headache over that," Garp mused. "But Kong will have it even worse."
After downing his drink, Garp lifted Luo Ling with one hand. "You're still too weak," he said, walking toward the door. "Work hard and get stronger."
He didn't wait for a response from Dragon, who simply watched them go, a faint smile hidden beneath his cloak.
...
Garp didn't linger in Foosha Village. He soon took Luo Ling deep into the forests of Mt. Colubo.
According to the timeline, Luo Ling thought, Luffy should be with Dadan by now.
There was a small cabin ahead. Inside, a very hungry-looking Luffy was waiting. When he saw Garp and Luo Ling, his eyes lit up.
[Character Detected: Monkey D. Luffy. Analysis initiated...]
[Attributes Acquired: Hunger +80, Optimism +100, Curiosity +100, Enthusiasm +100, Exhaustion +50]
[Extract?]
Reject! Luo Ling sighed internally. Do this grandfather and grandson have a single serious attribute between them?
"Luffy! Have you not learned to cook for yourself yet? How do you expect to become a great Marine if you can't even feed yourself?!" Garp boomed.
"I don't wanna be a Marine! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared.
WHACK!
"Ow!"
After delivering a Fist of Love, Garp turned to Luo Ling. "What's your name?"
"Luo Ling."
"Sugoi! Let's be friends, Luo Ling!" Luffy, who had been crying in pain a second ago, was now beaming, his curiosity completely overriding the lump on his head.
Grumble!
Luo Ling watched as bubbles of 'Curiosity' and 'Enthusiasm' popped off Luffy in droves. Garp turned his attention back to Luo Ling. "And what about you? Do you want to be a Marine?"
"I want to join the Revolutionary Army!"
WHACK!
Luo Ling was also sent to the ground with a painful lump on his head. "So... painful!"
Soon, Garp had a massive beast roasting over a fire. After a hearty meal, the hungry boys quickly became friends.
Lying on the grass and looking up at the brilliant Milky Way, little Luffy pointed to the sky. "Luo Ling, you can be on my crew!"
"You'll find better crewmates," Luo Ling replied, declining the offer.
Luffy pouted and turned away, ignoring him for a whole ten seconds before he started chatting again.
Garp watched the scene quietly. It reminded him of when he'd first brought Ace here years ago. That foolish boy who would always ask him if he deserved to be alive.
...
Luo Ling quickly adapted to Garp's 'devil training.' His days were a blur of wilderness survival, from being tied to balloons and sent into the sky to being thrown into canyons filled with snakes. His vitality and resilience grew stronger by the day.
Garp also began teaching him the basics.
"Luffy, come and learn Grandpa's Fist of Love!"
"No way! Why would a pirate need a Marine's fist?!"
An enraged Luffy received another punch, leaving a large cartoonish bump on his head.
"Look at Luo Ling! Then look at yourself!" Garp scolded.
"Luo Ling doesn't wanna be a pirate!" Luffy pouted, watching as Luo Ling, drenched in sweat, practiced his basic stances and punches with fierce determination.
From Luo Ling's perspective, this was a gold mine. Luffy constantly produced attribute bubbles just trying to survive the day. Garp, however, only leaked a few 'Vitality' bubbles when he was demonstrating his punches.
[Hourglass analysis of Garp's techniques has progressed. Synthesizing...]
[Synthesis Complete. New skill acquired: Rokushiki - Rankyaku (Tempest Kick)]
[Extract?]
Extract!
Luo Ling was baffled. Garp is just standing there practicing his basic stance and punches. Where did a kicking technique come from? He didn't dwell on it, choosing to absorb the skill immediately. With Rankyaku, he now had a powerful, long-range offensive technique.
He spent his days adapting to the dangerous mountains, his proficiency in his basic skills, Devil Fruits, and Haki all improving steadily. Day by day, he collected and synthesized the Rokushiki techniques from Garp. The strange part was, Garp only ever taught him simple stances and punches, calling it his 'Iron Fist of Love.' Yet, just from watching that, Luo Ling was able to synthesize the entire Rokushiki moveset.
From spring to autumn, he lived through the changing seasons in the mountains. A year passed.
One hot summer day, Luffy was training under the sweltering sun, surrounded by a cloud of 'Exhaustion' bubbles.
"Luo Ling," Luffy said, "Grandpa says you're leaving today. Will we see each other again?"
"Definitely."
Garp stepped forward and grabbed Luo Ling by the scruff of his neck. "Alright, brat, you're brave enough now. Time for you to go stay with the other brat!"
"LUO LING!" Luffy yelled, standing on a log. "I'll get super strong! See you out on the sea!"
"See you on the sea!" Luo Ling shouted back, feeling a surge of anticipation. Am I finally setting out?
Soon, he was thrown into another part of the forest, in front of the mountain hideout of the Dadan family of bandits. This was where the other boy lived. Ace was probably out hunting, not at home.
[Hourglass Analysis: 'Fist of Love' successfully synthesized.]
[Skill Acquired: Fist of Love]
[(Passive Ability): Infuses advanced Armament Haki into every strike. Bypasses conventional defenses by claiming the attack is an act of 'love', making it difficult to guard against. Love thy enemy!]
[Extract?]
Extract!
Thrown into the bandit house, Luo Ling felt like he'd just found a hidden treasure. The Fist of love was an actual, analyzable skill! A fusion of Haki and pure physical technique!
"Dadan, keep an eye on this one!" Garp bellowed.
"Giving me another brat to look after, Garp?! You're asking for a beating!" Dadan yelled back. After a brief argument, she reluctantly accepted Luo Ling.
[Character Detected: Curly Dadan. Analysis initiated...]
[Attributes Acquired: Annoyance +30, Sympathy +50, Helplessness +20]
[Synthesis Complete. Item Acquired.]
[Meito: O Wazamono Grade - Kiba (Fang)]
[(Cursed Blade): A dark purple, curved blade bearing the sigil of a beast. On the night of a full moon, it absorbs moonlight, its edge shimmering as if lined with ethereal fangs.]
[Extract?]
Extract! A dark purple katana was immediately added to his Hourglass storage. Cursed? I like it.
"Listen up, little demon!" Dadan growled, trying to look fierce. "If you want to eat, you have to earn your keep! We don't take in freeloaders!"
Luo Ling knew from the 'Sympathy' and 'Helplessness' bubbles that it was all an act. She was fierce on the outside, but she saw him as another homeless child Garp had forced on her. This whole family is full of tsunderes, he thought with a smile.
"For today, you get one bowl of rice and one glass of water! That's it!" one of the bandits added, trying to sound angry.
Luo Ling happily ate his rice. I'm getting stronger. As soon as I have enough power, I'm going to sea and turning this whole world upside down!
[Character Detected: Portgas D. Ace. Analyzing...]
[Attributes Acquired: Vitality +200, Exhaustion +100, Hunger +200]
[Extract?]
Extract!
Just then, Ace returned, dragging a massive boar behind him, which he threw onto the floor. He was already carrying a roasted chicken and a large joint of meat. The smell hit Luo Ling, and he couldn't stop himself from drooling.
"Hey! Who are you?" Ace demanded, noticing Luo Ling. "And why are you staring at my food like that?! Stop drooling, you idiot! I'm not sharing!"
One minute later...
Ace tore off half the roast chicken and shoved it at Luo Ling.
"Thanks!" Luo Ling said through a full mouth. After swallowing, he looked up and grinned. "If you're ever in danger, I'll definitely save you! Even if the whole world becomes your enemy!"
Ace scoffed. "Why would I be an enemy of the whole world? And I'm strong! I won't need you to save me, idiot!"